Finally, a big Pac-12 game. Yes, fans, you've waited more than a week for the first conference showdown: No. 14 USC against No. 13 Stanford. Thanks for your patience.

It is a little disconcerting to go from opening-week picnics like Stanford's 45-0 pasting of UC Davis and USC's 52-13 rout of Fresno State right into the fire of a Pac-12 rivalry.

"You've got to play them sometime," Stanford defensive end Henry Anderson said. "I'd rather do it now than wait the whole season and have a back-loaded schedule where we've got all the tough guys at the end of the year."

Until last year's 20-17 USC win, on Andre Heidari's 47-yard field goal with 19 seconds left, Stanford had won four in a row against the Trojans, its longest win streak in a series that dates to 1905.

On Saturday at Stanford Stadium, the Cardinal (1-0) will take on a Trojans team with a new look. Thanks to its new hurry-up offense under former Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian, USC opened by running a Pac-12-record 105 plays, 10 shy of the NCAA mark.

Unfortunately, many Stanford students won't be around to see the game. Classes don't begin for another few weeks. But the conference needed a showcase game for TV, in this case ABC and its top broadcast team of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit.

"It's a little disappointing" for the students, quarterback Kevin Hogan said. "I know it's fun for our fans. It's the way the schedule goes, with school starting so late."

USC, as usual, has a posse of speedy and productive wide receivers - led by Nelson Agholor, George Farmer and freshman JuJu Smith - for much-improved quarterback Cody Kessler to target.

Kessler is expected to be in top shape even though he missed part of practice Tuesday to undergo a procedure on a toe. Sarkisian said the toe bothered him throughout the Fresno State game. It bothered Kessler so much that he threw for only 394 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for another.

It will be critical for Stanford not to surrender "the explosive plays over the top," head coach David Shaw said. "The problem is sometimes those are short passes that end up being explosive plays. They have those kinds of athletes."

They also have 6-foot-1, 220-pound Javorius "Buck" Allen, whom Anderson calls "probably the best running back we'll see all year. ... He can make guys miss, and he can run you over."

Stanford will be a little thin at linebacker because backups Kevin Palma and Joe Hemschoot are out with unspecified injuries suffered against the Aggies. Both might be out a couple of weeks.

On offense, Stanford will have to contend with All-America defensive end Leonard Williams. Speaking of two juniors, Shaw said with a smile that he hoped Williams would be a top-five pick in the next NFL draft and that his own offensive tackle, Andrus Peat, is a top-five pick the following year.

"We need to get that guy (Williams) out of the conference," Shaw said. "Joking aside, he's fun to watch."

Briefly: Wide receiver Devon Cajuste, suspended for the opener, will start for Stanford. So will junior Zach Hoffpauir at free safety, although Kyle Olugbode, who started the opener, will play a lot, Shaw said. ... After last year's Stanford win over Washington, Sarkisian said on a radio show that the Cardinal faked injuries to thwart his high-tempo offense. Shaw hotly disputed the charge but said Tuesday, "There's no animosity between me and Steve."